Cotton-compress.



No. 657,225. Patented Sept. 4, I900.

' C, E. MALLETT.

COTTON GOMPRESS.

(Application filed Sept. 22, 189B. Renewed Jan. 23, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR Patented Sept. 4, I900.

I C. E. MALLETT.

COTTON COMPRESS.

(Applicat ion filed Sept. 22, 1898. Renewed Jan. 23, 1900.)

3 Sheen-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR X W s %WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS TNE NORRIS PEYERS co, viofuumoq wnsummcn. o. c.

No. 657,225. Patented Sept. 4, I900.

C. E MALLETT.

COTTON BOMPRESS (Application filed Sept. 22; 1898. RGHSWBKIJID. 23, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sh0at 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR QmMm,

BY w ATTORN EYS "04: Moms PaTERs co" PMcTouTHQ, wAsumcnon. o. c.

i'rnn STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

CHARLES E. MALLETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDMUND URQUHART, OF SAME PLACE, AND CHARLES T. HARBECK,

OF ISLlP, NElV YORK.

COTTON-COMPRESS.

S?ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,225, dated September 4, 1900. Application filed September 22, 1828. Renewed January 23, 1900. Serial No. 2,512. N de To all whom it new; concern/.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. MALLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Cotton-Compresses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cottoncompresses of the type shown in my Patent No. 607,063, dated July 12, 1898, wherein a hat of cotton is laid in folds beneath a plunger which descends at intervals to compress the folded hat. The bale so formed is supported on a platen which is gradually lowered as the bale is built up, and a confining-box surrounds the bale and can be raised or lowered independently, so as to confine or to give access to the halo, as desired. The general principles of the invention set forth in that patent being equally applicable whether the machine be used in a vertical, horizontal, or other position, it will be understood that the word supported as above used means supported against the action of the plunger, and the terms above used relating to vertical motion or to raising or lowering of the plunger, platen, or retaining-box are not necessarily used in the sense of vertical motion relatively to the horizontal plane of the earths surface, but rather with reference to the plane of the platen. Thus by a lowering movement is meant a longitudinal movement in the direction that the plunger takes when approaching the platen, while a rising movement means movement in the opposite direction. The same is true of these terms as hereinafter used in the following specification and claims, except in so far as they relate to means actually depending on the action of gravity for their opera-- tion, as hereinafter set forth.

The present invention com prises means for preventing the rebound or upward expansion of the bale when the plunger is temporarily withdrawn for iheinsertion of a new fold of the bat.

Further features of my invention are improvements in the folder mechanism, in the means for retaining the folded end of the bat in place, and in the means for lowering the platen.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a partly-sectional side elevation of a cottoncompress embodying my improvements. Rig. 2 is a partly-sectional end view of same. Fig. 3 is a partlysectional side view of the top part of the machine on the side opposite to Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a top view of the retainingframe for preventing rebound of the bale. Fig. 5 is a partly-sectional side view of the top of the box and the plunger, showing the bat-holding mechanism.

1 represents the main drive-shaft, carrying the driving-pulley 2 and fast pulleys 3 t. Pulley 3 is connected by belt 5 with a pulley (5 on the shaft 6, from which the plunger is operated, and pulley 4 is connected by straight and crossed belts 8 9 with fast and loose pulleys 1O 11 12 on a shaft13, which is journaled in the frame 7 of the machine and serves to operate the platen. A clutch 16 serves to control the operative connection of shaft 6, and thus of the plunger, and a belt-shifter 15 serves to stop or reverse the motion of shaft 13 and of the platen. The clutch 16 is controlled hy lever 16, connected thereto by-rod 16, and the belt-shifter 15 is controlled by lever 15.

Thereeiprocating plunger 17 has extensions 17 engaging in vertical guides 18 in frame 7, to guide the plunger in the up-and-down movement imparted to it with the cranks 19 on shaft 19, which is operated from shaft 6 by a pinion 20 on the latter shaft engaging with a gear-wheel 21 on shaft 19.

The platen 22, which supports the cottonbale while it is being formed, is movable in the line of motion of the plunger and is carried by a vertical screw-post 23, engaging in not 24, which revolves in a bearing 25 on the frame 7 and has rigidly attached to or formed with it a bevel-wheel 26. A bevelpinion 27, carried by the shaft 13, engages with the bevel-wheel 26, so as to cause the platen 22 to be raised or lowered or stopped, according to the operation of the belt-shifter 15. Itis desirable, however, to provide means for gradually and intermittently lowering'thc 'to a single fold or lap of cotton-bat.

platen during the periods when the pressure of the plunger is removed from the bale, as the frictional resistance to such movement is excessive when such pressure is on the bale. To this end I provide a ratchet-wheel 28 on the shaft 13 andapawl 29, carried by an arm 30, turning loosely around said shaft and 0p erated by a rod 31, extending up to the plunger extensions 17, to which it is pivoted at 32. Each time the plunger descends it depresses the arm and causes the pawl 29 to slip back over one or more teeth of the ratchetwheel. Then on the upward movement of the plunger the rod 31 pulls the arm 30 around and by the pawl 29 and ratchet-wheel 28 forces the shaft 13 around sufficiently to cause the platen to be lowered a space corresponding This pawl must be lifted away from the ratchetwheel when the platen is to be raised, and for this purpose I connect it by a cord 33, passing over pulleys 34 35, to the belt-shifter 15.

The box 36, surrounding the platen, is supported and guided vertically in frame 7 by its side flanges 37 engaging in corresponding grooves in said frame, and means areprovided for raising and lowering such box, such means preferably consisting of manually-operated mechanism, such as shown, the same consisting of worms 38, engaging in racks 39 on the ends of the box, said worms being carried by shafts 40, journaled in bearings on the frame 7 and connected by miter-wheels 41 42 with a cross-shaft 43, which is journaled in the frame 7 and carries at one end an operating-handle 44.

This machine is intended to be used in connection with means for feeding thereto a continuous bat of suitably-condensed cotton and is provided with a pusher device laying or folding the cotton between the platen and plunger. This consists of a reciprocating pusher-plate 45, which slides on the top of box 36 and on a bracket 46, projecting horizontally therefrom, the said plate at its rear end being pivotally connected to a long link 47, pivoted to the end of a long arm 48, carried by a rock-shaft 49, which also carries an arm 50, pivotally connected to one end of a rod 51, whose other end is pivoted at 51 to wheel 21. Thus at each rotation of Wheel 21 the pusher-plate 45 is advanced and retracted over the top of the box, and the parts are so arranged that the pusher-plate is advanced in under the plunger as the latter ascends and withdrawn from under it as it descends. The link 47 is of sufficient length to prevent the disengagement of the parts even when the box 36 is fully lowered.

To retain the outer end or bend of each fold as it is laid down and left by the pusher, I provide a retaining device (shown in Figs. 2 and 5) consisting of a drop-frame comprising a bar 53, carrying pins 54, which are adapted to fall on and through the bat and hold it in place. Said pins 54 pass through holes 54 in the plunger 17,and the forward end of pusher-plate 45 is notched, as at 45, to permit of the passage of said pins, it being understood that the body of said plate has to project beyond said pins when fully protected. The frame or bar 53 is horizontal and slides vertically on posts 52, affixed to plunger 17, and levers 56, pivoted at 57 to the ends of the plunger, are notched at their upper ends, as shown at 58, to engage with the bar 53 as the plunger rises, and thus lift said bar with the pins 54. The lower ends of levers 56 lie in the path of pusher-plate 45 and are struck by same when at or near the end of its forward stroke to trip the levers 56 from bar 53 and allow the latter to drop and drive the pins 54 into the folded end of the bat.

The pusher-plate is then withdrawn, and the plunger descends and compresses the layers of cotton just laid down.

Whenever the plunger rises, the cotton tends to expand and follow it up, and to prevent this I have provided retaining means consisting of two comb-frames 6O 61, carrying fingers 62 62 and sliding horizontally on brackets 46 63, projecting from opposite sides of box 36. The fingers 62 62 slide horizontally in and out of the sides of the box, so as to approach and nearly meet one another in the center of the box or to recede outwardly and leave the top of the box free. This movement is effected by the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, wherein 64 represents a camwheel fast on shaft 19,'and 65 a lever pivoted at 65 to frame 7 and operated by engagement of its pin or roll 65 in the groove 64 of said cam-Wheel. Lever 65 is connected by link 77 to a lever 66, pivoted at 66 to frame 7 and having its opposite arms connected by links 67 68 to arms 69 70 on rock-shafts 71, journaled on the box 36 and carrying arms 78 79, connected by links 72 with the combframes 60 61. The connection between links 67 68 and arms 69 70 is preferably made detachable, the links being here shown as provided with notches 73, engaging over pins 74 on said arms. erably provided above the fingers 62 62 near where they pass into the box and below said fingers at points farther out, so as to take the strain and relieve the friction due to the upward pressure of the cotton. The cottonretaining frames 60 62 62 are thus positively supported against tipping upwardly or away from the platen, but are free to slide laterally-that is, inwardly and outwardly. The fingers 62 62 are pointed, as shown, so as to readily penetrate and slide through and over the cotton, the fingers 62, which are on the side at which the cotton-bat enters, being made especially sharp or acute to enable them to penetrate the bat from below. The plunger 17 is provided with grooves 76, which register with and receive the fingers 62 62 when the platen is lowered and the fingers are pushed in. These grooves also serve to IIO Antifriction-rolls 75 are prefreceive the tie-bands after the baleis formed, and the platen 22 is for the same purpose provided with grooves 76.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The box 36 having been raised to its highest position, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) the platen 22 is run up to near the top of the box. The usual bagging is then put in place, and the bat is led from the condensing apparatus into the box and fastened, as by means of dropframe 53 54. The plunger mechanism, with its connected parts, is then brought into op eration, and the following sequence of operations takes place: The plunger 17 descends, compressing the bat, and while it is still depressed or approached to the platen the cam 64; comes into action and drives the fingers 62 62. The pusher-plate -15, through the action of link-and-arm connection 51 50, &c., now moves inwardly, and its advancing edge strikes the bat from below and pushes it along, the bat bending and sliding over the rounded edge of said plate. At the same time by the connection through rod 31 the arm 30 is operating the ratchet-wheel 28 to depress the platen one step. In the upward movement of the plunger 17 the levers 56, en-

gaging with drop-frame bars 53, carry the same up with the plunger, and thus make way for the advancing pusher-plate. As the pusher-plate approaches the end of its instroke it carries the folded end of the bat beyond the vertical plane of the drop-frame and then striking the levers 56 trips said dropframe, whereupon the pins 54 descend through the notches 15 in the pusher-plate and through the folded end of the bat, thus holding the latter during the immediatelyfollowing recession of said plate. A fold, lap, or double layer of bat has thus been laid in the box, and as the pusher recedes from over the box the plunger again descends and compresses the bat, the fingers 62 62* being withdrawn temporarily during the compressing motion of the plunger and reinverted after the compression is completed. By a repeated series of such alternate laying and compression actions the bale is built up to the desired depth. The plunger mechanism is then thrown out of connection, and the bagging having been arranged over the bale the beltshifter 15 is thrown to raise the platen 22, bringing the powerful screw compression to bear on the bale. Then after detaching links 67 68 from pins 74 the box 36 is run down by its manual operating mechanism, and the bale-tie is thus exposed in condition to receive the bale-ties,which are inverted through the grooves 76. The bale having been bound, the pressure may be relieved and the bale removed.

When the manual controlling means or belt-shifter is thrown to operate the platen by direct application of the belt-power thereto, the operating connection from the plunger to the platen is disconnected by means of the above-described connection between the belt-shifter and the operating-pawl of the ratchet mechanism. This is necessary to en ableupward motion of the platen, which would otherwise be resisted by the pawl.

The frames or fingers for retaining the cotton against expansion when the plunger ascends may be movable crosswise or laterally between the platen and plunger in any direction, either sidewise or endwise, and the word laterally as used herein is to be taken in this broad sense.

As above stated, the general principles of this invention are applicable to a machine placed in a vertical, horizontal, or, in fact, any position. The drop-frame devices 53 54, &c., inasmuch as they operate by gravity require for their operation a vertical or nearly-vertical arrangement of the machine; but the principles of the other parts of the invention-namely, the retaining-fingers and their operating connectionsare applicable to a machine placed in any position or direction.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a cotton-compress, the combination with the platen, the reciprocating plunger, and mechanism for laying the cotton between the platen and plunger, of a retaining device, movable laterally between the platen and plunger, means for holding said device positively against movement away from theplaten, and operating mechanism connected to said retaining device for withdrawing and inserting said device between the platen and plunger.

2. In a cotton-compress, the combination with the platen, the reciprocating plunger, and mechanism for laying the cotton between the platen and plunger of a retaining-frame comprising a series of fingers movable laterally between the platen and plunger, means for holding said frame positively ainst movement away from the platen, and operating mechanism connected to said frame for withdrawing and inserting said fingers between the platen and plunger.

3. In acotton-compress, the combination of the platen, the reciprocating plunger and its operating mechanism, and the inclosing box, of a retaining device movable laterally between the platen and plunger, means for holding said retaining device positively against movement away from the platen, and mechanism connected to the plunger operating mechanism and to the retaining device, for withdrawing and inserting said device be tween the platen and plunger while the plunger is depressed, and holding it there while the plunger is raised.

4. In a cotton-compress, the combination of the platen, the reciprocating plunger and its operating mechanism, and the inclosing box, of a retaining device movable laterally between the platen and plunger, means co1nprising antifriction-rolls bearing against the retaining device, for holding said retaining de vice positively against movement away from the platen, and mechanism connected to the plungerand to said retaining device, for withdrawing and inserting said device between the platen and plunger.

5. In a cotton-compress, the combination of the platen, the reciprocating plunger, the box,

and the pusher device supported on and sliding over the box, and adapted to lay and foldhold said comb-frame over the cotton in the box while the plunger is raised.

6. In a cotton-compress, the combination with the platen, the plunger, the box surrounding the platen, mechanism for longitudinally moving the box, a cotton-retaining frame supported in guides on the box and movable laterallyinto and out of the box and mechanism for operating such frame, comprising a detachable connection,substantially as set forth.

7. In a cotton-compress, the combination With the platen, the reciprocating plunger provided with grooves, retaining frames having fingers movable laterally between the plunger and platen and engaging in the aforesaid grooves, and operating mechanism connected to the plunger and to the said retaining-frames, and acting to insert the fingers in the grooves of the plunger when the latter is depressed.

8. In a cotton-compress, the combination with the platen, the reciprocating plunger and the pusher device for folding the bat, reciprocating between the platen and plunger of a device for holding the fold of the bat as it is left by the pusher device, consisting of a drop-frame, and a trip-support for same carried by the plunger and engaging with the said drop-frame when the plunger is lifted, and engaged by'said pusher device to trip and release the drop-frame.

9. In a cotton-compress, the combination with the platen, the reciprocating plunger and the pusher device for folding the bat, reciprocating between the platen and plunger of a device for holding the fold of the bat as it is left by the pusher device, consisting of a drop-frame carrying pins, and a trip-support for said frame, carried by the plunger and engaging with the said drop-frame when the plunger is lifted, and engaged by said pusher device to trip and release the dropframe.

10. In a cotton-compress, the combination with the reciprocating plunger, of the platen movable in line with the motion of the plunger, a screw-post and gearing for operating said platen, means for operating said gearing,

reversing and release mechanism for said operating means, ratchet mechanism connected with the said gearing, means for operating said ratchet mechanism in accordance with the motions of the plunger, and adisconnecting means for said ratchet mechanism connected to the aforesaid reversing and release mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a cottoncompress, the combination with the reciprocating plunger and plungeroperating mechanism, of the platen movable in line with the motion of the plunger, manually-controlled operating mechanism independent of the plunger-operating mechanism for moving the platen, means controlled by the movement of the plunger away from the platen to effect movement of the platen away from the plunger, and means for disconnecting the operating connection between the plunger and platen When the manual controlling mechanism for the platen is brought into operation.

0. E. MALLETT.

Witnesses:

HARRY E. KNIGHT, M. V. BIDGOOD. 

